10 big things about China you should not miss (Nov.2- Nov.8)
1. Xi attends commissioning of China's Fujian aircraft carrier
President Xi Jinping on Wednesday attended the commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian, China's first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, in south China's Hainan Province.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, boarded the aircraft carrier to inspect the vessel at a naval port in Sanya City.
The Fujian was launched in June 2022 and named after Fujian Province.
2. China to extend visa-free policy for 45 countries including France
China will extend visa-free policy to France and other countries to December 31, 2026, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.
To implement the guiding principles of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, expand high-standard opening up, and continue to facilitate cross-border travel,Mao said at a regular news briefing that China will add Sweden to the visa-free scheme effective from November 10, 2025 to December 31, 2026.
3. China's foreign trade up 3.6 pct in first 10 months
China's total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms rose to 37.31 trillion yuan (about 5.27 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first 10 months of 2025, up 3.6 percent year on year, official data showed Friday.
The pace of growth eased from the 4 percent rise recorded over the first nine months of the year, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
In October, China's total goods trade edged up 0.1 percent year on year to 3.7 trillion yuan.
4. China demonstrates firm commitment to global cooperation at 8th CIIE
The China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened in Shanghai on Wednesday, demonstrating China's firm commitment to global cooperation.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony of the CIIE, saying that the world "must embrace free markets and free trade, and resolve cross-border contradictions and problems through joint development."
5. 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit held in east China's Zhejiang
The 2025 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit kicked off in east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday, with a focus on building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
6. Robot traffic officer works in Wuzhen, E China's Zhejiang
Standing 1.8 meters tall, the robot can replicate various traffic command gestures and synchronize with traffic light systems to enable dynamic lane management and intelligent guidance. As the permanent host of the World Internet Conference, Wuzhen has seen a growing number of artificial intelligence applications implemented in recent years.
7. Chinese court sentences 5 Myanmar Bai crime group members to death
A court in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, announced on Tuesday the first-instance judgment for the Bai family criminal group: five members were sentenced to death, with other members receiving prison terms from 20 years to three years and additional penalties including fines, confiscation of property, and deportation.
8. China delays Shenzhou-20 return mission
The return of China's Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship, originally scheduled for Wednesday, will be postponed due to a suspected impact from tiny space debris, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The impact analysis and risk assessment are under way. The decision to delay the return aims to ensure the astronauts' safety and mission success, the agency said.
9. China's Mars orbiter captures interstellar object 3I/ATLAS
China's Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter has captured images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS from about 30 million kilometers away, marking one of the closest observations of the object to date.
The achievement could help prepare for the upcoming Tianwen-2 asteroid mission, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said Thursday.
10. The biggest full moon of 2025 spotted in China
The largest full moon of the year, known as a "supermoon," was spotted in China on Wednesday, arriving at its closest point to Earth at a distance of around 357,000 kilometers.
